1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems which assist in moving patients who are on beds, gurneys, or other such patient supports. More particularly, the invention relates to systems which enable a single health care worker to effect a patient pullup, roll the patient to a desired position, or laterally transfer the patient to another patient support.
2. Background of the Invention
Partially or totally incapacitated persons in hospitals, nursing homes, or other assisted care settings must often be routinely and periodically pulled up from a slumped position, rolled over, or transferred between patient supports such as beds and gurneys. These maneuvers are typically done manually by two or more attendants, although the number of attendants required to perform a maneuver increases with the weight of the patient.
It is often desirable for patients to lie on platforms in which the head portion of the platform has been raised or angled upwardly. Often, to obtain the most benefit and comfort from a bed in this raised position, the patient should be disposed such that the patient""s abdomen and thorax are in an elevated position. However, totally or partially incapacitated patients tend to slide or slump out of this position toward the foot of the bed, thereby losing the healthful benefits of a more upright position.
Another activity frequently required of caregivers is patient rollover. Patient rollover is necessary for maintaining patient comfort, facilitating examination, and preventing bed sores from forming.
A third activity is transporting the patient between patient supports, such as a bed and a gurney/cart, a cart to an operating or procedural table, etc. Generally speaking, this includes maneuvering the patient to another location.
Typically, space is limited in hospital and assisted care rooms. Therefore, devices to effect patient pullups, rollovers, or transfers must either occupy a minimum of space (if kept in the room) or be transported in and out of the room when required. Activities, such as pullups, are typically performed at frequent intervals and it is usually not feasible to transport equipment to and from a room to perform a patient pullup every two hours. However, if such a device used for pullup is to be stored in one of these rooms, the device must occupy a minimum of the limited space available and should be placed so that the pullup will be efficiently accomplished.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,827,642, issued to Huff on Mar. 25, 1958, discloses a device for moving a patient on a bed. The device includes a shaft mounted in ball bearing brackets. The brackets are bolted or otherwise secured to the headposts of the bed. Straps for a fabric webbing are secured to the shaft and a fabric supporting section is secured to the straps. A crank handle is removably secured to one end of the shaft. A patient lying on the fabric supporting section is pulled toward the head of the bed by cranking, and thereby winding the straps on, the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,929, issued to Crane on Mar. 11, 1997, discloses a patient-positioning device. The positioning device includes a sheet which is placed under the patient and connected to a rope or braided line. One end of the braided line is anchored to a metal peg on the headboard. The remainder of the braided line is threaded through several pulleys. One of the pulleys is attached to a frame assembly. The patient is pulled up when the head portion of the bed is raised or by an independent motor operating to wind the line. The patient-positioning device of Crane, appears to require extensive retrofitting of beds and is not apparently transportable or suitable for various maneuvers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,774, issued to Warren on Aug. 10, 1971, discloses a patient moving device which is attached to hospital beds. The patient moving device includes an adjustable post and clamps for attaching the post to the head of a bed. A winch is mounted on the post. A patient to be pulled up is secured with apron straps and apron tabs are connected to a T-bar. The T-bar is connected to a cable. The winch is operated to wind the cable and pull the patient up. Alternatively, a harness is employed. The harness is arranged under the patient""s arm pits and connected to the T-bar before the winch is operated to pull the patient up.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,219, issued to Harris on Feb. 7, 1967, discloses a hospital bed and lifting and turning device. The lifting and turning device includes four vertical support members adjacent the head and foot of the bed. The vertical support members are hollow and threaded to receive the lower end of threaded members extending vertically from the vertical support members. The vertical support members are interconnected by side braces and transverse braces. A sprocket member is disposed atop each vertical member. Each sprocket member is adapted to threadably engage, and thereby raise or lower, a threaded member within the vertical support member. The drive sprockets are interconnected by an endless sprocket chain. An electric motor may be secured to one of the vertical members to drive the sprockets. Upper ends of the threaded members are provided with clamp members. Two elongated rods extend through outwardly extending portions of the clamp members. A sprocket wheel is secured to each elongated rod and separate sprocket drive chains connect sprocket wheel pairs at head and foot portions of the device. A fabric such as canvas is secured to the rods and rolled thereon. The fabric is rolled such that it will be wound on one rod and unwound from the other when the sprocket wheels are rotated. The hospital bed lifting and turning device of Harris appears to require extensive set up, is not readily transportable, and cannot effect a patient pullup or lateral transfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,371, issued to Fuller on Aug. 13, 1996, discloses a bed patient turning, lifting and transporting apparatus with a mobile, folding and knock-down frame. The apparatus does appear to be conveniently mobile and requires extensive set up before being used. The apparatus of Fuller also requires significant overhead space and could interfere or impede other necessary activities performed by medical personnel in attendance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,905, issued to Palmer et al. on Aug. 26, 1997, discloses a patient transfer/turning bed. The patient transfer/turning bed of Palmer et al. includes powered rotating drive rollers on each side of the bed""s mattress. The drive rollers are connected to articulating arms which pivot about an axis near the center of the head end and the foot end of the bed. A transfer/turning sheet removably connects the drive rollers. By raising the drive roller on one side of the bed, a patient will be rolled over toward the opposite side. The patient may also be transferred laterally across the bed by turning the drive rollers. In addition to requiring extensive bed retrofit, the patient transfer/turning bed of Palmer et al., is not readily transportable and cannot effect a patient pullup.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,432 issued to Butler on Jan. 12, 1954, discloses a patient transferring device. The patient transferring device of Butler is disclosed as including a roller mounted to a gurney. A pull unit is attached to the roller by a series of hooks and attaches to a transfer sheet. Although capable of effecting a type of lateral patient transfer, the patient transferring device of Butler cannot effect either a patient pullup or patient rollover.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,452, issued to Tanney on Feb. 7, 1956, discloses a hospital patient transfer device. The patient transfer device of Tanney is adapted to be mounted on a wheeled stretcher so that a patient may be transferred from a hospital bed to the stretcher or from the stretcher to the bed. The patient transfer device includes one roller mounted on the bed and another roller mounted on the stretcher. A cable is wound on one of the rollers and tracks thereby pulling a sheet from the stretcher while the sheet is guided beneath a patient disposed on the bed. After the patient and sheet are positioned, the sheet is wound on the roller mounted on the stretcher, thereby transferring the patient. The hospital patient transfer device of Tanney appears to require extensive bed and stretcher retrofit and cannot function either to pull a patient up or effect a patient rollover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,047 issued to DiMatteo on Oct. 11, 1988, discloses a multiple function invalid bed arrangement for transferring a prone patient longitudinally or laterally between beds or surfaces adapted to accept the patient in a prone position. The longitudinal bed transfer is accomplished by equipping the patient""s bed with two rollers, one roller at the head and one roller at the foot of the bed. A bed sheet is connected from the head to the foot roller much like a piano roll. The rollers are rotated to transfer the patient to a second bed which is equipped similarly. Thus, the multiple function invalid bed arrangement of DiMatteo appears to require extensive bed retrofit and cannot effect patient maneuvering without such retrofitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,938 issued to Knouse on Sep. 16, 1989, discloses a transportable patient mover and moving method. The patient mover moves a patient laterally from a first to a second surface such as from a bed to a gurney. The patient mover includes a bottom stand member and an upstanding support frame carrying an elongated roller. The support frame may be mounted on wheels or casters. One edge of a web-like sheet material is attached to the roller. The other edge of the web material is attached to a clamp. A transfer sheet disposed beneath a patient is secured by the clamp and the roller winds the web thereon, thereby transferring the sheet and patient thereon. The patient mover of Knouse does not appear suitable for remaining in a small hospital room between uses without interfering with essential activities.
There is a need for a device which can enable a single attendant to effect patient pullups, rollovers, and lateral transfers, which is readily transportable, and which may be conveniently stored in a patient""s room between uses.
This invention meets the needs of the industry by providing a device for maneuvering a patient who is located on a support platform. The support platform may be configurable to a generally horizontal position or otherwise. A pliable underlayment may be disposed proximate the patient and the support. The device may be operable by a single person or operator and may include a power train, a hook and web assembly, and a power and switching system.
The hook and web assembly may be windably attachable to the power train. The power and switching system may be in electrical communication with the power train and may include means for stabilizing the device. The stabilizing means may be actuated by contacting a first member of the support and may be in electrical communication with the power and switching system. The stabilizing means may include at least one extension accommodating a first switch activating the power and switching system. The stabilizing means may include a locking mechanism accommodated by the support. The hook and web assembly may include at least one belt and at least one hook. Each belt may be attachable to the power train and to one of the hooks. The device may further include a first base member and an optional second base member. The second base member may be locked into an extended position to further stabilize the device.
This invention also provides a method of displacing a patient. The method includes providing a device with a power train, a hook and web assembly, and a power and switching system. The hook and web assembly may be attachable to the power train. The power and switch system may be in electrical communication with the power train. The power and switching system may include means for stabilizing the device. The stabilizing means may be actuated by contact with a first member of the support and may be in electrical communication with the power and switching system. The method includes securing a pliable underlayment proximate the patient to the hook and web assembly. The method further includes stabilizing the device by contacting a first member of the support to the stabilizing means and actuating the power train.